Anonymous Global Tyre Manufacturer

A major global tyre manufacturer operating a plant in Romania faced mounting pressure to modernize aging stage-one and stage-two tyre building machines that had been running on legacy Allen-Bradley SLC 500 PLCs. The existing architecture — AC motors controlled via I/O modules with an older PanelView HMI — made recipe changeovers and parameter adjustments time-consuming and error-prone. Production cycle times exceeded market standards, and the system lacked the flexibility to accommodate new tyre architectures, a critical gap as shifting vehicle mix and compliance requirements from the manufacturer's customers demanded faster product development and greater operational agility.

INDAS Tech, a Rockwell Automation Recognised Systems Integrator with 15 years of tyre industry experience, was engaged to redesign both the mechanical and automation layers. The legacy SLC 500 controllers were replaced with Allen-Bradley ControlLogix PACs, paired with PanelView Plus 1000 HMIs for simplified operator interaction. Motion control was modernized using PowerFlex 70 variable-speed drives and Kinetix 6000 multi-axis servo drives on a SERCOS network, with a laser marking system integrated over DeviceNet. An EtherNet/IP communication infrastructure connected the machines to Level 2 systems and enterprise servers. INDAS Tech developed modular PAC and HMI application software designed for straightforward adaptation to future tyre specifications, and conducted full factory-acceptance testing before handover.

The modernized tyre building machines delivered measurable improvements across production and operational dimensions:

• Faster production cycle: Cycle times reduced to meet current market standards, previously unachievable on the legacy platform.
• Reduced downtime: Improved diagnostics and modern control hardware decreased unplanned stoppages.
• Increased flexibility: Operators can now execute recipe and parameter changes quickly, supporting rapid tyre architecture development.
• Easier operator interactions: The PanelView Plus 1000 HMI simplified parameterisation and calibration, reducing operator training burden.
• Accelerated product development: The manufacturer can develop, program, and initiate new tyre architectures significantly faster than before.

• Legacy PLC platforms (SLC 500-era) create compounding flexibility and compliance risks — modernization delivers rapid payback across OEE, TCO, and connectivity.
• Modular software architecture is as important as hardware selection; design PAC programs for future tyre variants from the outset.
• Integrating servo motion control (Kinetix 6000 on SERCOS) alongside variable-speed drives unlocks precision and speed that AC-motor-only systems cannot match.
• EtherNet/IP connectivity to Level 2 systems is a prerequisite for data-driven decision-making and digital transformation in tyre manufacturing.
• Engaging a system integrator with deep vertical experience (15+ years in tyre machinery) compresses deployment timelines and reduces factory-acceptance risk.